3:1 Model

A few years back, two of the SLPs in my district went to a presentation of a 3:1 service delivery model.  As I understand it, the basic idea is that the students on your caseload receive services 3 weeks a month.  During the last week of the month, IEP meetings are held, screenings are completed, testing happens, progress reports and billing finished, classroom observations are conducted, consultations are scheduled, and all those other odds and ends that we don't have enough time in our day to do happens.  It's also a time to make up a session that was cancelled or during which the student was absent.

We have a few districts in our area that have switched to this model, and they swear they see their students more frequently, as they are not pulled for meetings sporadically any more, and they have the time to make up with students if a student was absent or the SLP was.  Plus, they have time for screenings, planning, and testing without having to cancel groups.

Right now, some of the buildings in my districts do this.  For example, one of the elementary schools has one day a week when the service team does not see students.  They hold all IEPs/meetings on those days, and the SLP has time to pull kids for testing or screening around the meetings.  Unfortunately, as someone who is split between buildings, I don't imagine this working for me.  We also have a few part time SLPs who have their assignment based on caseload, so taking a day for meetings wouldn't work, because they have enough of a balancing act getting all minutes met in 2 days a week. Most of us would prefer the 3:1 model, but we are still collecting information about it.

If you use the 3:1 model, I would love to hear from you.  Are you happy with it? Do you wish it was different? Do you really feel like you are meeting your students' needs? Is your whole Special Education team on board, or is it just related service providers? What has been the response of the GenEd teachers? How do you explain it to parents? Are you accountable for your time during your "off" week?  What other things do you do during your "off" time? What else should we know about it?

Thanks, all!